Serrano High School’s SkillsUSA program has achieved a historic milestone at the state level, being named one of only four schools in California, and top 24 in the nation, to be recognized as a Model of Excellence for Workplace Skills. The prestigious honor was announced during the Evening of Excellence dinner at the SkillsUSA California State Conference in April. This major achievement officially clears the path for the Diamondbacks to travel to Atlanta, Georgia, during the first week of June to compete for the ultimate national title.
To earn the Model of Excellence distinction at the state level, the Diamondbacks had to prove that their Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways teach far more than just technical blueprints. The chapter submitted an extensive portfolio documenting how members mastered vital workplace soft skills, including responsibility, organization, and planning, through major local initiatives such as Phelan Phamily Phun Days, the school’s biannual LifeStream blood drives, and the annual Veterans Dinner.
For Tony Zavala, the current SkillsUSA Chapter Secretary, hearing Serrano’s name called among the state’s elite was the culmination of relentless effort.”One thing that was going through my head was that all the hard work and dedication paid off,” Zavala continued, “To know that we were named top 24 out of 17,000 schools is truly great. None of this would be possible without our SkillsUSA Lead Advisor, Landis Greer, as well as Assistant Lead Advisor Saira Francis.”
Beyond the chapter-wide honor, Zavala competed directly at the state conference in the Chapter Display category, a grueling challenge where teams sketch, design, build, and program a physical display representing the annual SkillsUSA theme: Champion Your Future. When pressure mounted on the competition floor, Zavala credited his support system for keeping him grounded. “All competitions are stressful. For me, one thing that helped me was knowing that my partner had my back, as well as having the support of my advisor and my CTE teachers in the Film Academy Pathway,” he shared.
While the community frequently celebrates the team’s medals, the invisible hours of preparation stretch back months. SkillsUSA Assistant Lead Advisor Saira Francis noted that students routinely train weekly for months, constantly refining their submissions and technical portfolios.”Skills are an avenue to broadcast the excellence of our CTE students, teachers, and programs, and a way to validate students’ readiness to enter the workforce,” Francis said.
That readiness was tested at the state level when an unexpected hurdle emerged. In a twist prior to the drone competition, the head judge suffered a medical emergency. A replacement judge was brought in, which shifted the competition timeline and changed the way the scores were awarded. According to Francis, navigating those curveballs with confidence and grace under pressure is exactly what separates a good competitor from a great one.
To ensure students are prepared for both state judges and real-world careers, Serrano relies on a strong local network. “Our CTE coordinator, Jennifer Connor, works closely with the Mountain Desert Career Pathways consortium to keep our curriculum industry-aligned,” Francis explained, “We use industry-standard equipment so that students graduate already able to function in their career pathway of choice.”
For the advisors, the true reward comes from watching individual students find their voices on the state stage. Francis highlighted extemporaneous speech competitors Zander Diaz and Caleb Bordeaux, whose public speaking abilities she has watched develop over the past two years, now being applied to other areas such as speaking at FFA conferences and presenting their digital portfolio for a pathway graduation stole. Another student, Andrew Phipps, successfully utilized his refined speech skills to secure a position on next year’s Officer team. The chapter is also celebrating a major leadership victory: Serrano student Manuel Roblero applied for and was successfully elected as a SkillsUSA California State Officer. He will now spend the next year representing the entire state of California on the national stage.
The legacy of the program is best measured by the trajectories of the students who step through its doors. When asked about the single most critical asset Zavala relied on during the high-stakes environment of the state competition, he didn’t point to a piece of machinery or software. “The single best tool would be my brain,” Zavala said, “Not my smartness, but my ability to think on the spot, overcome situations, and make the best decision for those who I am leading.”
For Zavala, the program didn’t just teach him how to build a display; it gave him a map for the rest of his life. On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, he officially enlisted in the United States Army, with aspirations to work in Counter-Intelligence or as a tactical drone operator. “Before I joined SkillsUSA, I didn’t know what I wanted to do after high school,” Zavala reflected, “SkillsUSA helped me find the starting line in my career, and I know it will get me past the finish line. The biggest lesson I learned was that no one will make your future—it is up to you to champion your own future.”
As the qualifying Diamondbacks spend these final days revising speeches, polishing portfolios, and packing their bags for Atlanta, Zavala has a message for underclassmen pondering whether to join a Serrano CTE pathway next semester: “Be all you can be, and remember that you are here to create your own future.”
